- Trump threatens 25% of the non -American iPhones rate.
- Actions fall in the United States and Europe; Dollar down, gold above.
- Apple planned investments do not include iPhone production.
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, threatened Friday to increase his commercial war again, pressing for a 50% tariff on the goods of the European Union as of June 1 and warning Apple that can slapped a 25% tax on all imported iPhones bought by US consumers.
The twin threats, delivered through social networks, the global markets traveled after weeks of decalcus had provided some respite in the tariff battle. The main rates of US shares. And European shares fell and the dollar weakened, while the price of gold, a shelter for investors, increased. The yields of the United States treasure fell on fears on the effect of tariffs on economic growth.
Trump’s side against the EU was driven by the belief of the White House that negotiations with the block are not progressing quick enough. His Sabre noise also marked a return to the Washington Stop and Start War that has shaken markets, companies and consumers and increased the fears of a global economic recession.
The president’s attack against Apple is his last attempt to press a specific company to transfer production to the United States, following car manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and chip manufacturers.
However, the United States does not produce smartphones, even when US consumers buy more than 60 million phones annually, and move production would probably increase the cost of iPhones in hundreds of dollars.
Later, on Friday, Trump told journalists within the Oval office that his proposed Apple tariff would also apply to “Samsung and anyone who does that product”, apparently refers to smartphones. He said he expected the new phone tax at the end of June.
Trump reiterated his complaint that the European Union treated the United States badly and restricted the United States to sell cars to the EU. “And I just said: ‘It’s time for us to play the game in the way I know how to play the game'”.
“I’m not looking for an agreement,” Trump said when he was asked if he was waiting for an agreement before June 1. “We have established the agreement, it is 50%. But again, there is no rate if they build their plant here.”
The EU Chief of Commerce, Maros Sefcovic said that the European Commission, the EU executive arm, was completely committed to ensuring an agreement that worked for both parties, after a Friday phone call with the American counterpart Jamieson Greer and the United States Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick. He added that the United States-states “must be guided by mutual respect, not threats.”
Speaking to journalists in The Hague, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof supported EU’s strategy in commercial conversations and said the EU would probably see this last announcement as part of the negotiations.
“We have seen before the tariffs can go up and down with conversations with the United States,” he said.
The White House stopped most of the punishment rates that Trump announced in early April against almost all countries in the world after investors furiously sold US assets, including government bonds and the US dollar. Trump left in place an initial 10% tax in most imports and then reduced its great tax to 145% on Chinese products at 30%.
A 50% tax on EU imports could raise consumer prices throughout German cars to Italian Oliva oil.
The total exports of the EU to the United States last year totaled around 500 billion euros ($ 566 billion), led by Germany (161 billion euros), Ireland (72 billion euros) and Italy (65 billion euros). According to EU data, pharmaceutical products, cars and car parts, chemicals and airplanes were among the largest exports.
Disputes on rates
The White House has been in commercial negotiations with numerous countries, but progress has been unstable. The financial leaders of the group of seven industrialized democracies tried to minimize disputes over tariffs earlier for the week in the Canadian rock mountains.
“The EU is one of Trump’s least favorite regions, and does not seem to have good relations with its leaders, which increases the possibility of prolonged commercial war between the two,” said Kathleen Brooks, director of Research at XTB.
The conversations with Japan seemed less tense.
After meeting separately with Lutnick and Greer on Friday, Japan’s main commercial negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, said the two parties discussed expanding trade, non -tariff barriers and economic security problems. He described his conversations as colder and deeper than before.
Speaking to journalists, Akazawa said that while it would be excellent if an agreement could be reached when Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ihiba meet in the group of seven summit next month in Canada, did not rush just to ensure an agreement.
“Our country has national interests that must be protected, so it is not enough to simply forge an agreement,” Akazawa said. “As a negotiator, I can tell him that in the negotiations the part adhered to a deadline generally loses.”
The United States Treasury Secretary Scott Besent would not comment on other possible trade agreements, but said about Fox News that would be announced more as the end of the 90 -day pause in reciprocal rate approaches in July.
Apple declined to comment on Trump’s threat, which would reverse the exclusions it gave to smartphones and other electronic imported to a large extent of China at a break for large technology companies that sell consumer goods.
Apple’s shares fell 3% after Trump said in an early social position that told the company’s CEO, Tim Cook, “a long time ago” that “I hope that their iPhones that are sold in the United States of America are manufactured and built in the United States, not in India, or anywhere else.”
Cook and Trump met on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Apple is accelerating plans to make most iPhones sell in the United States in Indian factories at the end of 2026 to navigate with potentially higher tariffs in China.
But the chances of moving production to the United States are thinner. In February, Apple said it would spend $ 500 billion in four years in nine US states, but that investment did not intend to take the manufacture of iPhone to the United States.
“It’s hard to imagine that Apple can comply with this president’s request in the next 3-5 years,” said Davidson and Co Analyst Gil Luria.
